Yr\  \S^- 

TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS 

REVIEW 


OF  THE 


HOME  DEPARTMENT 


OF  THE 

WOMAN’S  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS. 


BY  MISS  A.  B.  CHILD. 


BOSTON 

Frank  Wood,  Printer,  352  Wasiiinoton'street 
1893 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2019- with  funding  from 
Columbia  University  Libraries 


https  ://arch  i  ve  .org/detai  Is/twentyf  i  veyearsrOOch  i  I 


/flNNE  morning  nearly  twenty-six  years  ago 
an  earnest  Christian  woman  was  sitting  in  a 
bright,  sunny  room  at  the  top  of  her  house,— 
she  was  “a  house-top  saint”  indeed —  reading 
a  missionary  magazine.  She  had  read  many 
such,  and  her  heart  had  burned  within  her  at 
the  wrongs  of  heathendom;  but  never  as  now 
had  she  been  impressed  with  her  personal  duty 
to  heathen  women.  She  tried  to  do  away  with 
the  impression  in  vain.  The  “still  small  voice” 
in  her  heart  then  roused  has  never  since  been 
silent.  After  days  and  weeks  of  indecision  she 
yielded  to  the  call  of  her  Lord,  and  went  forth 
to  do  his  bidding. 

At  about  the  same  time,  and  in  the  same 
city,  another  Christian  woman  went  one  morn¬ 
ing  to  a  woman’s  missionary  meeting,  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Woman’s  Union  Missionary 
Society.  She  was  neither  young,  nor  beautiful, 
nor  intellectual.  She  was  a  plain,  simple-hearted 
little  woman  ;  but  she  was  ever  ready  to  do  her 
Master’s  errands.  The  meeting,  also,  was  neither 
large  nor  famous.  Doubtless  the  leaders  went 
to  it  with  much  trembling  and  sinking  of  the 
heart,  as'  women  have  so  often  gone  to  mission¬ 
ary  meetings  since  that  time.  But  our  friend’s 
heart  was  aroused,  and  she  carried  a  live  coal 
from  the  little  gathering  to  the  sister  with  whom 
she  lived.  The  sister  was  vigorous,  intellectual, 
executive,  and  with  her  the  impression  grew  day 
by  day  that  there  should  be  more  definite,  organ- 


4 


ized  effort  for  the  women  and  children  in  heathen 
lands.  Mutual  friends  soon  brought  these  two 
women  together  (Mrs.  Albert  Bowker,  our  first 
President,  and  Mrs.  Homer  Bartlett,  our  first 
Treasurer),  and  through  their  instrumentality 
our  Woman’s  Board  was  formed.  The  first 
causes  then  were  very  simple, — a  missionary 
magazine  and  a  missionary  meeting, —  but  they 
had  the  blessing  of  God. 

The  story  of  subsequent  efforts  is  familiar 
to  all :  the  small  but  constantly-increasing  cir¬ 
cle  of  interested  women;  the  days  and  weeks  of 
careful  planning;  the  frequent  meetings  for 
prayer,  where  the  Spirit’s  presence  was  so  often 
manifest;  the  many  rebuffs  from  clergymen  and 
laymen  who  were  full  of  doubt  as  to  the  wisdom 
of  the  movement;  the  applications  for  encour¬ 
agement  to  denominational  Boards,  only  to  be 
met  with  the  remark,  “I  wish  such  a  society  could 
be  formed,  but  it  does  not  seem  practical ;  it 
would  be  a  failure.” 

The  first  word  of  real  approbation  came  from 
the  Rev.  Dr.  N.  G.  Clark,  then  Junior  Foreign 
Secretary  of  the  American  Board,  who  has  re¬ 
mained  an  unfailing  friend  from  that  hour  to  the 
present.  To  his  fostering  care  in  the  early  days, 
his  defense  of  our  right  to  existence,  his  private 
encouragement  and  public  praise,  and  above  all 
to  his  confidence  in  us,  we  owe  more  than  we 
can  tell. 

At  last,  after  eight  months  of  effort,  all  things 
were  ready,  and  a  meeting  for  organization  was 


s 


called  the  first  Tuesday  in  January,  1868,  in  Free¬ 
man  Place  Chapel.  Forty  women  were  present. 
Forty  women  to  start  a  society  to  carry  the  gospel 
to  fifty  million  of  women  and  children !  But 
the  call  seemed  unmistakable.  “  For  there  is  no 
restraint  to  the  Lord  to  save  by  many  or  by 
few.” 

At  its  organization  three  aims  were  set  before 
the  Board : — 

1.  By  extra  funds,  efforts,  and  prayers  to  co¬ 
operate  with  the  American  Board  in  its  several 
departments  of  labor  for  the  benefit  of  women 
and  children  in  heathen  lands. 

2.  To  disseminate  missionary  intelligence  and 
increase  a  missionary  spirit  among  women  at 
home. 

3.  To  train  children  to  interest  and  partici¬ 
pation  in  the  work. 

Shall  we  consider  for  a  few  moments  how 
far  these  three  aims  have  been  accomplished. 

ORGANIZATIONS. 

Since  the  American  Board  had  an  entrance 
into  the  churches  in  the  usual  way,  it  seemed 
best  to  organize  local  auxiliary  societies  among 
women.  Efforts  to  do  this  met  with  a  ready 
response,  and  at  the  close  of  the  third  year  the 
list  numbered  one  hundred  and  forty-six  Auxili¬ 
aries  and  fifty-nine  Mission  Circles  among  chil¬ 
dren.  These  numbers  were  more  than  doubled 
at  the  end  of  the  fifth  year,  and  again  doubled  at 
the  end  of  the  first  decade.  Since  then  they 


6 


have  increased  more  gradually,  till  now  we  num¬ 
ber  twenty-three  Branches,  having  under  their 
care  more  than  seventeen  hundred  organizations 
in  more  than  half  the  churches  in  our  territory, 
and  having  a  membership  estimated  at  35,000, 
out  of  about  220,000  female  church  members. 

It  was  soon  evident  that  Auxiliaries  from  a 
distance  needed  to  be  gathered  around  covenient 
centers,  having  the  stimulus  of  close  contact 
with  other  societies,  and  the  advantages  of 
regularly  appointed  officers,  who  knew  the 
churches, — their  capabilities  and  their  needs. 
For  this  purpose  the  idea  of  Branch  societies 
was  conceived,  each  comprising  not  less  than 
twenty  Auxiliaries  and  Mission  Circles.  The 
Philadelphia  Branch  was  the  first  one  organized, 
in  1871,  and  others  followed  in  quick  succession, 
till  we  now  have  twenty-three  Branches  covering 
all  our  territory :  one  Branch  in  each  of  the 
States  of  Maine,  New  Hampshire,  Vermont, 
Rhode  Island  and  New  York  ,  one  comprised  of 
the  Congregational  churches  of  the  New  Jersey 
Association,  which  includes  Pennsylvania ;  three 
in  Connecticut,  and  fourteen  in  Massachusetts. 

This  complete  organization — wheels  within 
wheels — has  been  of  inestimable  value  in  our 
work.  The  officers  of  Branches  have  almost 
without  exception  proved  themselves  marvel¬ 
ously  adapted  to  their  position ;  alert,  persistent, 
tactful,  prayerful  and  earnest,  they  have  labored 
in  season  and  out  of  season  to  accomplish  the 
aim  set  before  us.  All  honor  is  due  also  to  the 


7 


officers  and  members  of  local  Auxiliaries,  where, 
after  all,  the  personal,  hand-to-hand  work  of  the 
Board  has  been  done.  Living  creatures  within 
the  wheels  these  workers  have  been,  with  hearts 
warm  and  palpitating  with  love  for  Christ  and 
for  his  kingdom  on  the  earth.  To  them  is  due 
the  success  of  our  Board.  “  When  those  went 
these  went ;  when  those  stood  these  stood ;  and 
when  those  were  lifted  up  from  the  earth  the 
wheels  were  lifted  up  over  against  them:  for  the 
spirit  of  the  living  creature  was  in  the  wheels.” 

The  shadows  in  these  organizations  have 
been  few.  Some  societies  have  died,  for  want  of 
a  little  more  courage  in  their  members;  others 
have  disbanded,  from  force  of  circumstances ; 
and  some  churches  still  hold  aloof,  and  refuse 
us  their  aid  and  sympathy.  The  question  of  the 
relation  of  our  auxiliaries  to  other  benevolent 
societies  caused  much  discussion  at  one  time, 
but  was  finally  amicably  settled.  But  in  general 
their  story  has  been  one  of  long,  steady,  success¬ 
ful  effort. 

Before  we  leave  this  part  of  our  subject  we 
may  be  allowed  a  brief  tribute  to  the  individual 
workers.  Rare  women  they  have  been— intel¬ 
lectual,  broad-minded,  enthusiastic  in  their  love 
for  foreign  missions — the  very  best  in  all  the 
churches.  No  one  who  has  often  attended  our 
meetings  could  fail  to  be  impressed  with  the  per¬ 
sonnel  of  those  in  attendance,  as  well  as  of  the 
leaders.  Just  here  we  wish  to  express  our  obliga¬ 
tion  to  Mt.  Holyoke  Seminary.  Of  late  years  we 


8 


have  owed  much  to  graduates  of  other  institu¬ 
tions  ;  but  in  the  early  days,  over  and  over  again 
the  one  or  two  women  found  in  a  church  to  enter 
into  immediate  sympathy  with  us,  proved  to  be  a 
graduate  of  Mt.  Holyoke.  So  Mary  Lyon  lives 
again  in  her  daughters,  zealous  laborers  for  the 
cause  she  loved  so  well. 

No  record  of  our  Board  could  be  made  with¬ 
out  reference  to  our  first  President,  our  present 
Honorary  President,  Mrs.  Albert  Bowker.  She 
took  up  the  work  in  her  prime,  and  brought  to 
it  the  rare  combination  of  wealth,  leisure,  great 
intellectual  and  executive  ability,  and  deep  and 
thorough  consecration.  At  the  present  time 
hardly  a  month  passes  that  we  do  not  recognize 
the  wisdom  of  her  far-sighted  planning,  and  her 
wonderful  perception  of  the  needs  of  the  future. 
For  twenty  years  she  gave  herself  heart  and  soul 
to  the  work.  No  storm  was  furious  enough  to 
keep  her  from  her  appointments  at  the  Board 
Rooms.  Her  house,  in  its  abounding  hospitality, 
was  always  open  to  friends  of  the  cause,  and  her 
carriage  was  in  constant  use  to  promote  its  in¬ 
terest.  No  point  was  too  small  to  enlist  her 
utmost  pains  to  make  it  exactly  what  it  should 
be,  and  no  undertaking  was  too  large  for  her  to 
attempt,  if  convinced  of  its  need ;  while  over 
and  around  all  that  she  did  was  her  prayerful 
spirit, — a  constant  waiting  on  God  for  guidance 
and  blessing.  Not  a  step  was  taken,  not  a  meet¬ 
ing  held,  not  a  printed  page  sent  out,  not  an  ap¬ 
propriation  of  money  made,  without  earnest,  per- 


9 


sistent  prayer.  We  rejoice  that  we  still  occasion¬ 
ally  have  her  presence  with  us,  although  she 
usually  sits  apart  from  us  in  her  home,  waiting 
serene  and  quiet  in  the  peaceful  border  lands. 
One  eminently  fitted  to  stand  by  her  side  was 
our  first  Treasurer,  Mrs.  Homer  Bartlett.  Brilliant, 
cultivated,  wise,  executive,  her  inspiring  touch 
was  felt  in  every  department  of  the  Board  during 
the  five  years  before  she  was  called  from  earth. 

Time  forbids  extended  mention  of  the  many 
who  have  rendered  invaluable  service  as  officers 
of  the  Board.  Of  the  twenty-eight  whose  names  ap¬ 
pear  in  the  first  list  of  officers,  nine  are  still  living : 
the  President,  three  Vice  Presidents,  two  Secre¬ 
taries,  and  three  Directors.  We  cannot  forbear  to 
mention  the  names  of  those  who  have  labored  so 
heartily  with  us,  but  who,  among  the  great  cloud 
of  witnesses,  are  invisibly  present  with  us  to-day. 
They  are:  seventeen  Vice  Presidents, — Mrs.  Rufus 
Anderson,  Mrs.  S.  B.  Treat,  Mrs.  Richard  Borden, 
Mrs.  Gyles  Merrill,  Mrs.  Chas.  Stoddard,  Mrs. 
John  B.  Page,  Mrs.  Luther  Daniels,  of  the  Ver¬ 
mont  Branch;  Mrs.  Chas.  Washburn,  of  Wor¬ 
cester;  Mrs.  Edward  Robie,  of  the  New  Hamp¬ 
shire  Branch ;  Mrs.  Ray  Palmer,  of  the  Philadel¬ 
phia  Branch;  Mrs.  Wm.  J.  King,  and  Mrs.  A.  D. 
Lockwood,  of  the  Rhode  Island  Branch;  Mrs. 
Wm.  Thompson,  of  the  Hartford  Branch ;  Mrs. 
M.  M.  Chapin,  of  the  Norfolk  and  Pilgrim 
Branch;  Mrs.  L.  F.  Warner,  of  the  Suffolk 
Branch;  Mrs.  S.  D.  Stoddard,  of  the  Hamp¬ 
shire  Branch;  Mrs.  Burdett  Hart,  of  the  New 


10 


Haven  Branch;  one  Secretary,  Mrs.  George 
Gould, — one  of  the  fairest  ornaments  of  the  early 
assemblages  and  one  of  the  Board’s  most  effi¬ 
cient  helpers:  three  Treasurers,  Mrs.  Homer 
Bartlett,  of  whom  we  have  spoken,  Mrs.  B.  E. 
Bates  whose  inspiring  presence,  clear  judgment, 
and  willing,  devoted  service  made  her  a  tower  of 
strength;  Miss  Emma  Carruth,  who  came  to  us 
in  her  fresh  young  womanhood,  whose  zeal  and 
devotion  were  unbounded,  and  whose  love  for  the 
work  was  intense;  nine  Directors, — Mrs.  Giles 
Pease,  Mrs.  Charles  Scudder,  Mrs.  Daniel  Salford, 
Mrs.  Linus  Child,  Mrs.  J.  G.  L.  Coit,  Mrs.  J.  S. 
Ambrose,  Mrs.  Michael  Simpson,  Mrs.  Wm.  S. 
Houghton,  Mrs.  Paul  A.  Chadbourne.  Blessed 
and  honored  names  they  are :  may  ours  be  worthy 
to  stand  beside  them. 

THE  TREASURY'. 

Our  treasury  during  the  twenty-five  years, 
the  object  of  much  anxiety,  has  been  a  satisfac¬ 
tion  and  delight  as  well.  The  sum  of  $5,033.13 
contributed  the  first  year  was  more  than  doubled 
in  1869,  and  trebled  in  1S7O.  Since  that  time  the 
gain  in  contributions  has  been  steady,  although 
at  the  end  of  each  seven  years,  1878,  1 885  and 
1892,  there  has  been  a  falling  off  of  a  few  thous¬ 
ands.  It  would  seem  that  our  constituency 
stopped  to  take  breath  and  then  pressed  on  again, 
as  in  each  case  the  lost  ground  was  more  than 
regained  in  the  third  year,  and  there  was  steady 
increase  until  the  end  of  another  seven  years. 


11 


Legacies  have  fluctuated  more  or  less  each  year, 
the  largest  amount  received  in  any  one  year 
being  over  $31,000  for  1892.  The  total  amount 
of  receipts  for  the  twenty-five  years  has  been 
$2,041,925.86.  During  the  first  year  we  assumed 
the  support  of  seven  missionaries  and  eleven 
Bible  women,  commencing  the  payment  of  their 
salaries  at  the  beginning  of  the  following  year. 
The  foreign  work  gradually  increased,  till  for  ten 
years,  with  the  Board  of  the  Interior  and  the 
Pacific,  we  have  provided  for  all  the  single 
ladies  and  a  number  of  married  ladies,  the  girls’ 
boarding  and  day  schools,  and  portions  of 
mixed  schools,  and  all  the  Bible  women.  Our 
own  Board  has  sent  out  213  missionaries,  pay¬ 
ing  outfit  and  traveling  expenses,  since  1872 ; 
equipped  and  supported  thirty-nine  boarding- 
schools,  providing  buildings  for  twenty-six,  at  a 
cost  of  from  fifteen  hundred  to  sixteen  thousand 
dollars  each,  and  for  the  Constantinople  Home 
ninety-eight  thousand.  We  have  also  supported 
in  whole  or  in  part  about  500  different  day 
schools  and  nearly  as  many  Bible  women,  with 
medical  and  miscellaneous  work  amounting  to 
thousands  of  dollars.  It  is  with  the  deepest 
gratitude  that  we  can  say  that  with  close  and 
careful  planning,  and  some  elasticity  as  to  the 
time  of  payments,  we  have  never  been  obliged 
to  give  up  any  work  undertaken,  nor  of  late 
years  to  refuse  any  that  was  asked  as  legiti¬ 
mately  belonging  to  us,  for  want  of  money. 
Our  faith  in  our  constituency  has  never  been 


12 


disappointed.  The  amount  of  dollars  and  cents 
contributed  does  not  tell  the  whole  story 
of  our  treasury.  We  think  it  is  safe  to  say 
that  not  a  dollar  has  been  contributed  without 
special  thought  and  prayer,  either  by  the  giver 
or  the  collector,  and  the  gifts  bearing  the  sweet 
incense  of  special  consecration,  of  self-denial,  of 
thank  offering,  of  memorial,  known  and  un¬ 
known,  would  afford  a  long  and  touching  story. 

The  second  aim  proposed  at  our  organization, 
was  to  disseminate  missionary  intelligence  and 
increase  a  missionary  spirit  among  Christian 
women  at  home.  This  has  been  done  principally  ‘ 
through  the  meetings  of  the  different  organiza¬ 
tions  and  the  printed  page. 

MEETINGS. 

The  present  number  of  meetings  of  Board 
and  Branch,  Auxiliary  and  Mission  Circle,  in  our 
1,700  organizations,  would  number  at  a  small 
average  at  least  twelve  thousand  each  year;  the 
aggregate  for  the  twenty-five  years  being  hun¬ 
dreds  of  thousands.  The  time  and  thought  given 
to  these  gatherings  cannot  be  computed.  An 
interesting  feature  has  been  the  gradual  develop¬ 
ment  of  power  in  conducting  them.  Timid,  low¬ 
voiced  women  have  acquired  ease  and  self-pos¬ 
sesion  ;  parliamentary  rules  have  been  studied  and 
carefully  followed,  and  the  smaller  accessories 
that  mean  so  much  have  been  watched  and 
guarded.  No  mention  of  these  meetings  is  com- 


13 


plete  without  a  tribute  ot  gratitude  to  our  mis¬ 
sionaries.  Returning  to  this  country  worn  and 
ill,  they  have  yet  entered  most  heartily  into  the 
needs  of  the  home  held  and  have  gone  here  and 
there  among  the  churches  interesting,  inspiring, 
and  winning  many  for  the  cause  who  could  be 
reached  in  no  other  way. 

What  has  been  accomplished  in  these  meet¬ 
ings  ?  In  every  one  information  has  been  given 
as  to  foreign  missions,  and  prayer  offered  for 
their  success.  Have  they  ever  been  dull  and 
lifeless?  Sometimes.  In  the  large  majority, 
however,  there  has  been  life  and  warmth,  and 
the  wonderful  news  from  other  lands  has  kindled 
many  a  tire  which  burns  to-day  with  steady  light, 
while  many  a  great  congregation  has  been  thrilled 
through  and  through  by  the  story  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel’s  marvelous  power  in  every  land.  Above  all, 
we  may  be  sure  that,  whether  recognized  or  not 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  has  been  present  at  every 
meeting,  and  we  believe  that  the  souls  who,  in 
these  heavenly  places,  have  been  roused,  cheered, 
comforted,  lifted  to  a  higher  plane  of  living,  and 
stimulated  to  better  service,  may  be  numbered 
by  the  hundred. 


LITERATURE. 

A  second  means  of  disseminating  intelligence 
has  been  through  missionary  literature.  Soon 
after  the  Board  was  formed  it  became  evident 
that  manuscript  letters  could  not  meet  the  demand 


14 


for  information.  Occasional  circulars  also  proved 
inadequate,  and  it  was  decided  to  undertake  a 
quarterly  periodical.  Much  thought  and  prayer 
was  given  to  the  subject.  The  first  number  was 
issued  in  March,  1869,  without  knowing  where 
a  line  of  material  was  to  be  secured  for  the  next 
number,  without  an  editor,  or  the  assurance  of  a 
single  subscriber.  Its  name,  Life  and  Light  for 
Heathen  Women,  afterward  changed  to  Life  and 
Light  for  Woman,  was  the  suggestion  of  Dr.  N. 
O.  Clark.  The  first  numbers  were  edited  by  the 
President,  and  sent  out  by  the  Treasurer  from  her 
own  parlor.  Subscriptions  came  in  rapidly,  and 
many  expressions  of  commendation  were  re¬ 
ceived.  It  remained  a  quarterly  of  thirty-six 
pages,  from  four  to  eight  pages  being  given  to 
children’s  matter,  till  IS72,  when  it  was  changed 
to  a  monthly  of  thirty-two  pages.  Twelve  of 
these  pages  were  under  the  care  of  the  Board  of 
the  Interior.  In  1876  the  eight  pages  of  child¬ 
ren’s  matter  was  taken  out,  leaving  the  space  for 
other  articles.  In  1879  four  more  pages  were 
added  for  a  Young  People’s  Department,  and  in 
1880,  still  another  four  for  a  Department  of  the 
Pacific,  making  forty  in  all.  In  1889  the  maga¬ 
zine  was  again  enlarged  to  its  present  form,  con¬ 
taining  forty-eight  larger-sized  pages,  giving  a 
third  more  matter. 

The  magazine  has  always  been  successful 
financially.  Notwithstanding  the  various  addi¬ 
tions  and  the  consequent  increase  in  expense,  the 
subscription  price  has  remained  the  same,  except 


15 


that  ten  cents  was  added  for  postage,  when  a 
change  in  postal  laws  required  prepayment. 
During  the  three  years  that  it  was  a  quarterly  it 
paid  its  own  expenses  and  those  of  the  entire 
Home  Department.  When  it  was  made  a  monthly, 
for  two  years  its  expenditures  were  larger  than 
its  receipts ;  but  since  that  time  it  has  always  paid 
expenses, —  covering  the  salary  of  one  who  has 
charge  of  the  subscription  lists,  and  of  the  editor, 
who  has  also  served  as  Home  Secretary  of  the 
Board. 

In  1870  the  eight  pages  for  children  were 
struck  off  by  themselves,  forming  a  little  peri¬ 
odical  called  Echoes  from  Life  and  Light,  which 
had  a  good  circulation.  From  1876  to  1881  this 
matter,  supplied  by  the  Board,  occupied  one 
page  of  The  IVell-Spring,  published  by  the  Con¬ 
gregational  Publishing  Society.  In  1881  The 
Mission  T) a v spring  began  to  be  issued  jointly  by 
the  American  Board  and  the  Woman’s  Board, 
which  still  continues  its  monthly  visits  to  nearly 
13,000  subscribers. 

Another  useful  department  of  missionary  lit¬ 
erature  is  comprised  in  the  various  leaflets  pub¬ 
lished  by  the  Board,  containing  useful  hints  as 
to  methods  of  work,  stimulus  for  the  uninter¬ 
ested,  and  information  as  to  the  condition  of 
women  abroad  and  the  work  among  them. 
Those  leaflets  issued  by  other  Boards  are  alsa 
collected  and  kept  ready  to  supply  the  demand, 
so  far  as  possible.  In  this  department  we  should 
mention  also  the  thousands  of  weekly  pledge  en- 


16 


velopes,  and  miteboxes  of  various  kinds  sent 
out  each  year,  and  also  the  sets  of  costumes  pro¬ 
vided  for  children’s  meetings  and  entertainments. 
As  these  leaflets  and  boxes  are  mostly  sold  to  those 
who  desire  them,  this  department  also  has  not 
{except  in  one  or  two  instances)  been  a  tax  upon 
the  treasury  of  the  Board,  until  the  last  two 
years,  when  it  has  seemed  best  to  circulate  them 
more  without  pay. 

Aside  from  these,  the  collection  and  distribu¬ 
tion  of  manuscript  letters  and  papers,  and  the 
providing  of  speakers  and  material  for  meetings, 
has  necessitated  a  department  by  itself,  called  the 
“  Bureau  of  Exchange,”  which  was  started  in 
1876,  with  an  efficient  secretary  at  its  head. 
Through  its  instrumentality  from  one  to  two 
thousand  manuscipts  are  supplied  each  year  to 
auxiliaries  and  mission  circles,  and  missionary 
speakers  provided  for  meetings  of  from  one  to 
two  hundred.  During  the  last  year  a  monthly 
four-page  leaflet  on  the  topics  suggested  for 
meetings  in  Life  and  Light  has  been  issued,  and 
has  met  with  marked  approval. 

The  unwritten  history  of  all  these  printed 
pages  and  manuscripts  who  can  tell  ?  We  know 
of  more  than  one  who  has  been  led  to  consecrate 
herself  to  missionary  service  abroad;  of  many 
whose  interest  has  been  "kindled  and  kept  alive; 
whose  zeal  has  been  stimulated;  whose  purse 
strings  have  been  opened;  whose  prayers  have 
been  multiplied  by  a  chance  or  systematic  read¬ 
ing  of  the  printed  page. 


17 


TRAINING  OF  CHILDREN. 

A  third  aim  set  before  us  at  the  beginning 
was  the  training  of  children  to  missionary  in¬ 
terest.  The  little  ones  were  early  gathered  into 
societies  called  mission  circles,  and  their 
leaders  have  been  most  earnest  in  giving  them 
thorough  instruction,  and  most  fertile  in  resour¬ 
ces  to  hold  their  interest,  and  in  helping  them  to 
raise  their  gifts  for  missions.  The  meetings  of 
the  Board  for  children,  when  they  have  come  by 
the  thousand  with  banners,  and  flowers,  and 
songs,  the  rallies  in  the  Branches,  and  the  many 
little  circle  meetings,  have  been  bright  blossoms 
on  the  parent  tree  that  sometimes  seems  old  and 
worn.  The  gifts  from  these  circles,  amounting  in 
some  years  to  ten  and  twelve  thousand  dollars, 
have  helped  to  build  two  Morning  Stars,  the  Robert 
Logan  and  the  Hiram  Bingham,  and  have  placed 
substantial  school  buildings  in  Africa,  Turkey, 
India,  China,  and  Micronesia,  in  additon  to  their 
regular  donations  for  schools,  scholarships,  and 
Bible  women.  The  patient  toil  of  these  little 
ones,  their  eagerness  to  earn  their  gifts,  and 
their  many  little  self-denials,  oflfer  an  example 
that  their  elders  might  do  well  to  follow. 
The  children  in  our  mission  circles  of  twenty-five 
years  ago  are  women  now,  and  we  find  them 
among  our  best  workers  in  the  foreign  held  and 
in  the  home  churches.  This  growing  work 
among  children  and  among  young  ladies  necessi¬ 
tated  a  department  especially  for  them,  which  was 


IS 


started  four  years  ago,  which  has  proved  invalu¬ 
able,  and  giving  the  greatest  hope  for  the  future. 

This,  in  meager  outline,  is  the  story  of  our 
work  among  the  home  churches  for  the  quarter 
of  a  century  just  past.  To  fill  it  out  in  full 
detail  in  all  its  length  and  breadth  and  heighth 
and  depth,  in  all  its  strength  and  beauty,  would 
till  a  volume.  Perhaps  we  may  be  pardoned  a 
few  contrasts.  Twenty-five  years  ago  a  majority 
of  the  officers  of  the  American  Board  doubted 
our  right  to  be.  To-day  they  grant  us  their 
hearty  confidence,  and  recognize  us  as  a  real 
power  in  their  work.  Then,  pastors  looked 
askance  at  us  as  we  made  our  modest  efforts  to 
form  Auxiliaries  in  their  churches.  Now,  they 
ask  our  missionaries  into  pulpits  in  their  Sunday 
services,  and  seek  our  members  for  their  confer¬ 
ences  and  other  gatherings.  Then,  we  had  not 
an  organization  of  any  kind  connected  with  us. 
Now,  we  have  twenty-three  well  organized 
Branches,  comprising  1,700  local  societies.  Our 
first  meeting  numbered  forty;  since  then— as 
in  connection  with  the  meeting  of  the  American 
Board  at  Springfield — a  single  meeting  has  filled 
three  churches.  Twenty-five  years  ago  the 
women  who  were  accustomed  to  conducting 
public  meetings  could  almost  be  counted  on 
one’s  fingers ;  now,  they  can  be  numbered  by  the 
hundred.  Then,  we  had  not  a  dollar  in  our 
treasury,  and  rejoiced  exceedingly  over  the  little 
more  than  five  thousand  dollars  received  the  first 


19 


year.  Our  receipts  in  1892  were  over  $143,000, 
and  we  mean  they  shall  never  be  less  than  that 
amount.  Then,  we  gave  much  anxious  thought 
to  a  few  circulars ;  now,  we  issue  regularly  a 
woman’s  magazine  with  a  circulation  of  12,850; 
a  children’s  paper  with  13,000  subscribers ;  and 
leaflets  by  tens  of  thousands.  Twenty-five  years 
ago  there  was  one  Woman’s  Foreign  Missionary 
Society  besides  our  own ;  now  there  are  forty- 
five,  well  equipped,  and  in  smooth  running 
order. 

Has  all  this  been  our  work  ?  By  no  means. 
No  body  of  women  could  arrogate  to  them¬ 
selves  a  work  like  this,  and  least  of  all  the  quiet, 
unassuming  Christian  women  who  form  the 
great  body  of  our  workers. 

We  are  told  that  there  was  once  a  famous  artist, 
whose  father,  living  with  him,  had  some  skill  in 
modeling  clay.  The  father  would  work  by  the 
hour  in  the  daytime  with  busy,  although 
trembling  and  clumsy  fingers,  and  often  retired 
at  night  weary,  doubtful,  and  discouraged. 
While  he  was  asleep  the  son  would  take  the 
misshapen  clay  and  with  deft  fingers  fill 
up  the  indentations  here  and  there,  smoothing 
the  rough  places,  removing  the  unsightly  excres¬ 
cences,  bringing  out  lines  of  strength  and  beauty 
and  right  proportions,  making  over  the  poor  one¬ 
sided,  blemished  attempt  into  a  fair  and  lovely 
form  for  the  father’s  astonished  eyes  when  he 
should  awake.  So  it  has  been  wiih  our  work. 
The  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  our  great  Master  artist 


20 


has,  we  believe,  been  in  and  around  our  Board 
from  the  beginning,  filling  up  our  shortcomings, 
overruling  our  mistakes,  smoothing  the  rough 
places,  blessing  our  feeble,  twisted  efforts  for  the 
futherance  of  his  kingdom.  We  believe  that  He 
means  us  to  rejoice  to-day  over  what  He  has 
helped  us  to  do,  that  He  enters  into  our  gladness, 
enriching,  ennobling,  sanctifying  everything  that 
has  been  attempted  in  His  name. 


